The Death of Richie

A movie I remember when I was a kid that made me scared to death to use drugs.

This TV film pushed the envelope concerning teenage drug usage in the era. Even though the dialogue is a bit corny at times, Benson, Gazzara and Brennan still give powerful performances. Still worth viewing! Caution! If you watch it on Amazon Prime, be prepared for a very poor video transfer.

I remember seeing this movie when it first aired on TV when I was 8. Scared the crap out of me. Richie's story was in the back of my mind every time I said no to drugs and my friends didn't. Because of that I watched this movie with each of my kids shortly before they entered middle school. It's free on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRwXc-WrTWg. As we watched they would ask questions and I would pause the movie and answer their questions. Or sometimes I would pause the movie and comment on something to make sure they understood the significance of what was happening.

I was tempted to give this movie a 9 but I think that was mostly because it seems dated, and I wanted to avoid punishing a movie simply because it was old (I feel the same way about Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, It's a Wonderful Life). Accepting that this movie was made in the 70s, and made for TV, I think it's a 10 in all respects. The story, the writing, the acting by the 3 main characters, and the score just rip your heart to shreds and fill your eyes with tears. Such a powerful, emotional illustration of how drugs destroy families;how kids should never, ever try them, not even once; and how parents should never, ever give up on their kids, no matter what.

Unfortunately this movie tells a true story. Very dark material that will find its way to the darkest parts of your soul. After watching this movie I felt about drug dealers the same way I felt about the Nazis after watching Schindler's List.

Scary.

"The Death Of Richie", more than thirty-five years later, remains a pretty effective made-for-television movie. It is fairly tough going at times, for several reasons. The main reason is that it portrays drug addiction in a pretty realistic fashion, showing that there is no easy way out of the situation for both the addict and his loved ones. Another reason is with the character of Richie. He is a pretty unlikable fellow, though after some time I realized that may have been the point, to show that drugs can make anyone into a repulsive sort of person. Benson gives an excellent performance as Richie, though Ben Gazarra also deserves kudos portraying the struggling father who is not completely sympathetic. If there is a flaw in the movie, it may be that it does not illustrate how Richie got into drugs in the first place - the movie starts in the middle of his addiction. Though I do realize that movies don't always have the time to show every detail of a situation.

I haven't seen this movie since it was on TV and I was a teenager, so that has to be considered in reading my opinion. In brief, the movie follows the trajectory of a bright, handsome teenager, played by teen hearthrob of the time Robbie Benson and his hopeless descent into drug use. He tries to reform but the drug addiction is a powerful enemy indeed. This movie was made in the seventies, and as such, is probably dated, but I do think it had an effect on me, and was a part in building up an impression that heroin, in particular, was a road I didn't want to go down. If I remember correctly, this is mostly a movie about why you don't want to become a junkie, and the frustration of parents in watching their children turn into addicts. Not a happy film, but an excellent cautionary tale. Should be remade in today's context, including meth as a topic.